Anthony Gordon says Paris Saint-Germain remain team to beat after Barcelona defeat

Anthony Gordon believes Paris Saint-Germain are still the best team in football after Barcelona were beaten 4-2 in the Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain claimed victory in the third round of the league phase at the Parc des Princes, ending Barcelona’s run of 11 consecutive wins. That sequence had included nine victories in the league and two in the Champions League.

Speaking in comments reported by Sport, Gordon said he had expected an entertaining match but had hoped Barcelona would take the points.

“I think it was largely expected that there would be a lot of goals in this game,” he said. “Everyone knew it would be a match with goals, but I hoped we would come away as winners.”

Gordon accepted that Paris Saint-Germain had deserved their victory, saying the French side had shown greater quality and physical strength during the contest.

“They deserved to win and they were the better team in terms of quality,” he added. “Physically, they were able to maintain the pressure better than us.”

The Barcelona player said Paris Saint-Germain had been the side others needed to overcome for the past two years and remained at that level.

“They have been the team to beat over the last two years, and they are still the best team now,” Gordon said.

“We have to improve and become the team everyone is trying to beat.”

Gordon also admitted that neither he nor Barcelona had produced their best performance on the night.

“I don’t think I played well tonight, and the same applies to the whole team,” he said. “We want to put in a better performance, and I was not at my best.”

Despite the defeat, Gordon pointed to the format of the competition as a reason for Barcelona to remain optimistic. The match was part of the league phase rather than a knockout round, meaning the clubs could meet again later in the tournament.

“The good thing is that this game was in the league phase and not in the latter stages,” he said. “We may get the chance to beat them in a later round.”

Paris Saint-Germain moved on to nine points and the top of the Champions League standings, while Barcelona remain on six points.

Desire Doue, Lucas Hernandez, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz scored for Paris Saint-Germain. Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal were Barcelona’s scorers.

Gordon said he was comfortable playing either on the left or in a central position, with both roles offering different benefits.

“I don’t mind playing on the left or in the middle of the pitch,” he said. “Each position has different advantages for me.”

Egypt striker Hamza Abdelkarim remained on the Barcelona bench for the entire match.